The present invention is related to Japanese patent application No. 2000-151958, filed May 23, 2000; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a cockpit module assembly, and more particularly, to a cockpit module assembly which incorporates an assembly of peripheral devices into the vehicle instrument panel.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, there has been a demand for a formed module in which a vehicle instrument panel and devices around the instrument panel are integrally assembled as a cockpit module assembly. Such an assembly is mounted in a collective manner to a vehicle at one time, thus simplifying vehicle assembly. However, the conventional cockpit module assembly merely aggregates devices and parts which are originally disposed in the inside portion of the vehicle instrument panel and hence, the number of parts becomes extremely large (exceeding 400 parts as a specific example) so that the man-hour for assembling also becomes large. This simply means that, in the conventional cockpit module assembly, arrangement of peripheral devices in the instrument panel was performed by the vehicle manufacturer. Now, such arrangement is performed by the module manufacturer. This merely displaces the work load to the module manufacturer.
In view of these and other drawbacks, the present invention simplifies the assembly of a vehicular cockpit module assembly. Further, the present invention provides a vehicular cockpit module assembly that easily copes with variations in peripheral devices for the instrument panel.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicular cockpit module assembly is provided in which an instrument panel and peripheral devices are divided into a plurality of sub module assemblies corresponding to respective main devices, such that each sub module assembly includes the corresponding main device. Each of the plurality of sub module assemblies is assembled as a unit. Thereafter, the plurality of sub module assemblies are mutually assembled. By completing this assembly for each sub module assembly in advance, the man-hours for assembling the whole cockpit module assembly is decreased.
Further, since development and design is performed for every one of a plurality of sub module assemblies that include main devices, it is easier to make each sub module assembly perform the integration of function as a unit individually. As a result, the miniaturization and weight reduction of each sub module assembly as well as the easing of the assembling of each sub module assembly as a unit is facilitated.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicular cockpit module assembly is provided in which an instrument panel and peripheral devices are divided into a plurality of sub module assemblies corresponding to respective main devices, such that each sub module assembly includes the corresponding main device. At least one of the sub module assemblies completes an electric connection inside thereof and arranges connecting portions which perform connections with external wiring at a given portion in a collective manner.
By completing the electric connection in the sub module assembly unit in advance and arranging the connecting portions with the external wiring in a collective manner, even when the cockpit module assembly, as a whole, is provided with a large number of electric parts, the electric connection operation is simply completed.
In another aspect, the instrument panel and peripheral devices are divided into a plurality of sub module assemblies corresponding to respective main devices such that each sub module assembly includes the corresponding main device. At least one of the sub module assemblies comprises a standard portion which includes a standard assembly portion for assembling the sub module assemblies, a standard electric circuit portion and connecting portions with external wiring and a variation portion which is separate from the standard portion and is assembled to the standard portion. During cockpit module assembly, the standard portion can be efficiently assembled always with common parts in the same manner. Further, the variation portion is separate from the standard portion and can be assembled separately from the standard portion and hence, the cockpit module assembly can be easily assembled corresponding to variations which are changed with every vehicle type.
In another aspect, a plurality of sub module assemblies include a plurality of sub module assemblies having design portions as viewed from a cabin and one sub module assembly which constitutes a weight support structural body for supporting the weight of a plurality of sub module assemblies having design portions. The one sub module assembly which constitutes the weight support structural body supports the other sub module assemblies which have the design portions.
In another aspect, the one sub module assembly which constitutes the weight support structural body includes at least one of an air-conditioning indoor unit portion, a reinforcing member for supporting a steering device, and an air-conditioning duct portion.
In another aspect, the one sub module assembly which constitutes the weight supporting structural body is provided with an integrated electric wiring bundle which is formed by integrating a large number of bundled electric wires and electric distribution portions of the integrated electric wiring bundle.
Here, the one sub module assembly which constitutes the weight supporting structural body is provided with the integrated electric wiring bundle and the electric distribution portions as the standard portion. The integrated electric wiring bundle and the electric distribution portions can be constructed to be commonly used by other sub module assemblies (formed as relay stations of communication lines), simplifying the cockpit module assembly.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a plurality of sub module assemblies are comprised of 1) an air-conditioning sub module assembly which includes air-conditioning indoor unit portions, a reinforcing member for supporting a steering device and an integrated electric wiring bundle formed by integrating a large number of electric wiring in a bundle and constitutes a weight supporting structural body, 2) an instrument panel design sub module assembly including an instrument panel, 3) a meter sub module assembly including meters for indicating the drive condition of vehicle, 4) a center cluster sub module assembly arranged at approximately a central portion in the lateral direction of the instrument panel and integrating a plurality of devices such as an audio device, a navigation device and the like therein, and 5) a steering sub module assembly including a steering device.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in an assembling method of a vehicle cockpit module assembly which assembles an instrument panel and its peripheral devices as an assembly, the method includes a sub assembling step in which the instrument panel and the peripheral devices are divided into a plurality of sub module assemblies corresponding to respective main devices such that each sub module assembly includes the corresponding main device and each one of a plurality of sub module assemblies is assembled as a unit, and a whole assembling step which is performed thereafter and makes a plurality of sub module assemblies mutually assembled.
Due to such a method, the enhancement of the reduction of the number of man-hours, the miniaturizing and reduction of weight of the sub module assemblies and the facilitating of the assembling of the sub module assemblies can be achieved for each sub module assembly unit as in the case of the first aspect of the present invention.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, at least one of a plurality of sub module assemblies comprises a standard portion which includes a standard assembly portion for performing the mutual assembling among sub module assemblies, a standard electric circuit portion, a connecting portion which connects the standard electric circuit portion with external wiring, and a variation portion which is separate from the standard portion and is assembled to the standard portion, wherein only the assembling of the standard portion is performed in the sub assembling step and the variation portion is assembled to the standard portion before or in the midst of the entire assembling step.
Due to such a construction, as in the case of the third aspect of the present invention, the cockpit module assembly can be easily assembled corresponding to variations which are different for every vehicle type.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.